


What If...?

by OneWhoSitsWithTurtles



Category: Hannibal (TV) RPF
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Kissing, Late Night Conversations, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-04 22:23:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4155177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneWhoSitsWithTurtles/pseuds/OneWhoSitsWithTurtles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Late at night while rehearsing their lines, Hugh and Mads share a kiss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What If...?

“I just can’t—get it,” Hugh groaned in aggravation.

 

Mads laughed through the phone. For the last hour they had been practicing their upcoming Italian lines together over the phone, ignoring the clock warning them of the late hour. Mads had mastered his lines first, being more familiar with speaking multiple languages, and now he got to chuckle along with Hugh’s attempts. By now Hugh had the actual words memorized; the problem was the cringe-worthy nature of his pronunciation.

 

“You need to articulate more,” he coached. “Tighten your lips.”

 

“I don’t know what you mean by that – I don’t know how!”

 

They were both tired. They needed to nail down these lines for tomorrow, but they needed sleep too. Mads grabbed his key card from his bedside table and stepped into his slippers. “Hang on, I’m coming.”

 

Maybe under other circumstances Hugh would’ve argued with him. But tonight by the time Mads walked down the length of the hotel hallway, he found Hugh standing in the doorframe of his own hotel room, awaiting his arrival. Mads closed and locked the door behind himself and then joined Hugh who had returned to sitting against the bed’s wide headboard.

 

Too tired for preamble, Mads sat directly in front of Hugh and reached forward with one hand to touch the underside of Hugh’s stubbled chin. Immediately Hugh’s face lifted and then Mads used his fingers to gently hold Hugh’s jaw, causing a barely-noticeable pucker of his lips. “Try now.”

 

Hugh spoke his lines but his pace was too fast, his focus perhaps made skittish by Mads’ touch. In the glow of the bedside light Mads saw Hugh blush with embarrassment for his struggling, but with a kind prompting from Mads, Hugh attempted his lines again. After three attempts, the fourth utterance of Hugh’s line came out sounding divine.

 

Hugh beamed at Mads who smiled back. “I got it!” he said with mingled pride and relief.

 

“Well done,” Mads praised, nodding.

 

Without the requirement to grip Hugh’s face the way he had been, Mads’ grasp loosened to softly cup one side of Hugh’s face. They had practiced the final scene of the season two finale so many times that this felt commonplace; a default setting that brought the comfort of familiarity. Hugh leaned into it, rather than away, and their eyes met.

 

This happened to them so many times over their years of filming the show together. Mads had grown accustomed to the way his stomach sometimes clenched with anticipation, and the way he was sometimes filled with an unnameable yearning. These moments were a stable footing they occasionally found together amidst their frantic work schedules and lives. But they always passed, after a lingering, stolen breath.

 

Tonight, Hugh parted his lips and spoke. “Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened?”

 

“When?” Mads didn’t look away from Hugh’s eyes. He could feel each of Hugh’s exhales on his face and knew Hugh must feel Mads’ breath in return.

 

“If…” He watched Hugh’s eyes flicker down, linger. “If Will…”

 

“If Will…?” Mads repeated, prompting when Hugh trailed off.

 

“If _I_ …” He saw Hugh swallow.

 

Not knowing the answer but willing to take the risk, Mads leaned in and finally slotted their lips together. Their moment was frozen – fragile. And then Hugh melted against him and kissed back. It felt good, and it felt right, and Mads moaned. Hugh's hands slid into Mads' hair and deepened the kiss, tilting his head to align their lips perfectly.

 

Mads lost track of time in the rhythm of their lips dancing. He pressed closer and knelt half on top of Hugh as he slid down against the pillows and headboard. Hugh just held him closer, body welcoming as he parted his lips in an obvious hint of what he wanted. Mads indulged the request, tongue sweeping the swell of Hugh's bottom lip before delving in to explore.

 

When heat flushed his skin and the space between their bodies was narrow enough that each greedy inhale pushed their chests together, Mads broke the kiss. Hugh whined and to appease him, Mads nibbled Hugh's ear and kissed his neck. Then he leaned back and met Hugh's gaze. "Is this okay?" he wondered.

 

Hugh nodded. His fingers remained knotted in Mads' hair, nails teasing. "Will you stay tonight?"

 

"All you needed to do was ask," Mads soothed, and kissed Hugh's smile as his body weight pressed Hugh into the mattress.

 

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](http://onewhositswiththeturtles.tumblr.com/)


End file.
